An examination of the governance practices of Ghanaian media institutions

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the governance practices of Ghanaian media institutions by comparing the governance practices of public media institutions to that of private media institutions. Design/methodology/approach - The study adopts a comparative case study methodology by comparing the governance structures of public media institutions to that of the private media institutions. This is meant to ascertain whether public media institutions exhibit different or similar governance practices to that of private media institutions. The discussion is done in line with Taylor's nine principles of good governance. Findings - The findings reveal that governance lapses are widespread reflected in board appointment to slate of other procedures that depart from Taylor's principles of good governance. It is also discovered that some of Taylor's principles are not present in the governance structures of these institutions. These raise serious questions about the going concern of these institutions in playing their role as the fourth arm of government in Ghana. Originality/value - This is the first study of its kind in the sector, especially within Sub-Saharan Africa.